Test cricketers have provided their respective sides with a perfect balance over the years, allowing them to toy around with other alternatives. There have been many all-rounders over the long and illustrious history of world cricket, and today there are still a few on the rise.
All-arounders have developed the ideal balance for their respective sides over time, allowing them to experiment with other options. Many all-rounders have played in the long history of international cricket, and today there are still a few on the rise. However, only five players have made history by scoring 3000 runs and taking 400 wickets in Test cricket. Let’s quickly review the careers of these five outstanding cricketers.
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Sir Richard Hadlee scored 3124 runs and took 431 wickets.
It’s fair to argue that Sir Richard Hadlee was not only one of the best all-around players to ever play the game, but that he was also essentially a one-man army. During his playing career, he carried nearly all of the load for the New Zealand bowling attack.
He established the record for the double of 3000 Test runs and 400 wickets and became the first man on Earth to reach the milestone of 400 Test wickets. Hadlee played 86 Test matches during the course of his more than 17-year career (1973–1990), taking 431 wickets overall, including 36 five-wicket hauls. He produced 3124 runs at an average of 27.17 with the bat. He served as the lower-order Kiwis’ dependable option.
He participated in the era of the four legendary all-rounders, which also included Imran Khan, Ian Botham, and Kapil Dev. These four players are not all included in this list, though.
5248 runs and 434 wickets for Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev is unquestionably the best all-around player to have ever worn the Indian jersey. In fact, the search for a good all-arounder has continued ever since he retired. His World Cup heroics in 1983 and his role in India’s first World Cup victory will live in infamy, but his performances in Test cricket are sometimes overlooked.
In fact, he formerly held the record for most wickets in Test cricket. In 1994, during his penultimate Test match against Sri Lanka, he eclipsed Sir Richard Hadlee’s record. He took 434 wickets in 131 Test matches at an average of 29.65 and racked up 5248 runs at an average of 31.05.
Kapil Dev excelled at running all day and bowling tirelessly for extended periods of time. He could also hit the ball a long distance. He actually used to bat extremely well in the lower order, and one of his favorite tail-ender memories is the four sixes he smashed off Eddie Hemmings in the first Test of India’s 1990 tour of England when batting at No. 11 to prevent a follow-on.
Shane Warne scored 3154 runs and 708 wickets.
Everyone will immediately recall Shane Warne’s 700+ wickets, describe him as the greatest leg-spinner of all time, or recall how he misled elite batsmen. Warne, however, was also a respectable lower-order batter.
He was actually one of the most underappreciated performers with the bat. The Victoria leg-spinner has played 145 Test matches, batted in 199 innings, and scored 3154 runs. He has 12 fifty-year-old films under his belt, some of which are from the 1990s (out of which one of them is a 99).
Everyone is aware of his deadly skill with a ball. In particular, he advanced the art of leg-spin bowling. Warne had a contentious career, but he always let his play speak for itself. His ability to set up a batter was extraordinary.
Shaun Pollock scored 421 wickets and 3781 runs.
A player who averages over 30 with the bat and less than 25 with the ball is the goal of every team. One of the few cricketers, Shaun Pollock, met both of those criteria. In Tests, he had an average of 32.31 with the bat and 23.11 with the ball.
Pollock was one of the greatest South African cricketers of all time, yet he seldom ever received attention despite the fact that there was something about him that stood out. He joins this elite group with a total of 3781 runs and 421 wickets in Test cricket.
He frequently provided stoic resistance with the bat at Nos. 7 and 8. He had the ability to thwart attacks and score significant runs. In fact, he has scored a few hundred in Test matches. He bowled absolutely brilliantly. He had a perfect consistency. The batsmen were never able to escape quickly because of that nagging line and length. He was one of the era’s most underappreciated all-rounders.
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Stuart Broad has 427 wickets and 3008 runs.
The most recent addition to this exclusive group of all-rounders to achieve the double (3000+ runs and 400+ wickets in Test cricket) is Stuart Broad. Since the moment of his debut, he has played a crucial role for the England team. He is now the second-highest wicket-taker for England and one of the top new ball bowlers in the world.
James Anderson and David Broad have both terrorized numerous batting lineups. He has the extraordinary capacity to run through sides in a short period of time. When he is on, he has the power to destroy batting lineups. Certainly one of his most enduring performances was the one he used against Australia in 2015.
He has currently claimed 427 wickets. His bat skills have gotten worse over the past few years. He used to be a very useful No. 8 or 9, and he had a quick run-scoring ability. He can still do it, although not as consistently. Broad has accomplished enough to be included on our elite list, despite his recent slump.
